1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gas storage tank for storing gas therein and a method of manufacturing such a gas storage tank.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various gas storage tanks have been proposed to store a gas. One known method for storage of a gas is absorption or adsorption of the gas in a selected gas absorbent/adsorbent. One example is a hydrogen storage tank including hydrogen storage alloy. The hydrogen storage tank includes, for example, a cylindrical container that is filled with the hydrogen storage alloy and has one or two opening ends sealed by a flange.
In the gas storage tank containing the gas absorbent/adsorbent, an increase in gas supply pressure to the gas storage tank accelerates absorption or adsorption of the gas. The increase in gas supply pressure to the gas storage tank enables a larger quantity of the gas to be stored in a compressed form in cavities formed in the gas storage tank, in addition to absorption or adsorption of the gas in the gas absorbent/adsorbent. The gas storage tank is required to have a sufficiently high strength against the higher pressure in the gas storage tank. The high internal pressure of the gas storage tank may cause difficulties in sealing the opening of the container with the flange or in keeping the sufficient airtightness of the container with a gasket. No intensive studies, however, have been made on the structure of the gas storage tank that is filled with the gas absorbent/adsorbent and is capable of storing a high-pressure gas.